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Ireti Kingibe Sends Aduda Out of Nass, Wins FCT Senatorial Seat

by Leading Reporters March 1, 2023

written by Leading Reporters

Labour Party (LP) candidate, Ireti Kingibe has won FCT Senatorial election after she defeated the incumbent, Senator Philip Aduda of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

The Returning Officer for the FCT Senatorial election, Prof. Sani Saka, who declared the result Tuesday evening said Kingibe scored a total of 202,175 votes across the five area councils where results were declared to emerge winner.

Aduda came second with 100,544 votes, while Mr Angulu Dobi of the All Progressives Congress (APC) came third with 78,905 votes.

Results of Abaji Area Council were cancelled due to over voting and the appearance of African Democratic Party (ADP) on the ballot when it had no candidate for the election.

Result of Bwari Area Council where initially there was over-voting, was rectified and accepted prompting both PDP and APC agents to reject the result.

March 1, 2023 0 comments

Leading Reporters Alhassan Ado Doguwa has been arrested by the police for his alleged role in the killing of some persons and burning of the secretariat of New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP)

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Running Majority Leader Reps, Doguwa Arrested at Kano Airport

by Leading Reporters March 1, 2023

written by Leading Reporters

The Majority Leader of the House of Representatives, Alhassan Ado Doguwa has been arrested by the police for his alleged role in the killing of some persons and burning of the secretariat of New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) during the just concluded polls.

The Police had confirmed that no fewer than three persons were killed when the campaign secretariat of the NNPP in Tudunwada was set ablaze by suspected hoodlums.

Two persons were burnt to death during the crisis that erupted during the collation of the results of the Doguwa/Tudunwada House of Representatives poll, which Doguwa was eventually declared to have won.

A source told newsmen Tuesday that Doguwa was picked up at the Malam Aminu Kano International Airport while about to board a flight to Abuja.

It was alleged that Doguwa influenced the thugs to set ablaze the NNPP secretariat where at least two persons were burnt to death.

“He also used the pistol of his orderly and fired and several persons. So we have arrested him in connection to murder and arson.

“He is currently cooling off in the state Criminal Investigation Department,” the source, who pleaded anonymity disclosed.

Meanwhile, the spokesman of the Kano Police Command, SP Abdullahi Haruna Kiyawa, did not respond to call to his number on the arrest.

Earlier, Doguwa had in a press conference before his arrest denied any culpability and said he learnt that police were looking for him but he had not received any formal invitation.

He also denied allegations that he shot at several individuals in the fracas that broke out, saying he does not own a gun neither does he know how to fire one.

“I never held a gun. I don’t even know how to hold a gun. I also never held any weapon throughout the election,” he said.

He however said the crisis started when NNPP supporters came with the mindset of burning the INEC office and were repelled by supporters of APC. wants Kogi West Senatorial elections reversed over malpractices.

March 1, 2023 0 comments

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INEC Rejects Election Result from Gov.Okowa’s LGA

by Leading Reporters February 27, 2023

written by Leading Reporters

Obi humbles gov, Ogboru, Keyamo in Delta

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) yesterday rejected election results presented at the commission’s state office in Asaba for Ika North-east Local Government due to discrepancy in the figures presented.

Ika North-east is the home area of the Vice-Presidential Candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Governor of Delta State, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa.

Specifically, the Delta State INEC Collation Officer, Prof Abraham Georgewill Owuneri, noted that INEC could not accept the result for the local government area because the total number of accredited voters for the area was different from the number of votes reportedly cast.

According to the results presented by the Electoral Officer for Ika North-east, Dr James Olisa, the total number of accredited voters at February 25, 2023 presidential election is 30,105 while the total number of votes cast is 31,681. The local government area has 130,247 registered voters, he said, adding that a total of 3,206 votes were rejected.

Nonetheless, the rejected result for Ika North-east had showed that Governor Okowa’s party had won the election in the area with a total of 16,696 votes, Labour Party (LP) secured 8,908 votes while the All Progressives Congress (APC) had 1,902 votes.

In Ika South Local Government Area, which forms the other half of Ika Federal Constituency, the PDP was thrashed by Labour Party which polled a total of 17,868 votes to the PDP’s 7,485 votes.

The APC came a distant third after securing a total of 3,290 votes of the 29,763 valid votes cast, the Electoral Officer, Mr Alex Ani stated.

In Aniocha North, the result presented by the Electoral Officer, Emeke Onyeme, the LP also garnered 11,628 votes out of the 17,276 valid votes cast in the locality, leaving PDP and APC to trail behind with 3,783 and 1,146 total votes, respectively.

Mr Peter Obi’s LP also won the election in Ethiope East Local Government Area, home to influential politicians like Chief Great Ogboru, the governorship candidate of APGA, and Chief Evance Evwurie, formerly of the Delta State House of Assembly.

According to the Electoral Officer, Ms Josephine Crossday, the LP and Obi won a total of 10,199 of the 21,182 valid votes cast; PDP won 5,403 votes; and, APC got 3,850 votes.

In Oshimili North Local Government, which is the home base of the Secretary to the State Government (SSG) Chief Patrick Ukah, the LP also recorded an overwhelming victory, garnering 14,929 votes while the PDP and APC managed 4,796 and 1,688 votes, respectively.

The Electoral Officer for the area, Mr. Emannuel Okonta, said that 22,247 of the 23,795 votes only were valid while 1,548 votes were voided.

Meanwhile, the result for Ika North-East Local Government Area, which was represented about one hour later by the electoral officer after the initial rejection by INEC, showed that Atiku Abubakar and the PDP won with 16,696 votes, to the 8,980 votes scored by LP and 1,902 votes for the Bola Tinubu and the APC.

Results for the remaining 20 local government areas of the state are expected to be presented and subsequently declared by INEC on Monday (today).

By: Omon-Julius Onabu in Asaba

February 27, 2023 0 comments

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Leaked audio of Atiku, Okowa and Tambuwal plotting how to rig the election using INEC and CBN.

by Leading Reporters February 24, 2023

written by Leading Reporters

Leaked audio of Atiku, Okowa and Tambuwal plotting how to rig the election using INEC and CBN.

Leaked audio of Atiku, Okowa and Tambuwal plotting how to rig the election using INEC and CBN.

Here’s the transcript

ATIKU: Look, there will be need to bring in the INEC

OKOWA: Hmm, I think there will be need to interface with INEC and not create suspicion

TAMBUWAL: Waziri Adamawa, I will not want to disappoint you. And for me to accept to go into this, let us strategize and discuss the arrangements and how it can be achieved.

ATIKU: Tambuwal, that’s why we are meeting. Let us sit down and find any other technology that may be used to make sure we emerge. So there has to be a way on how to find loopholes.

OKOWA: We are going to provide for the INEC officials starting from the polling units through to the ward collation centers and I just hope that we are going to have to find a way to rig the elections. This is the best time to do so.

ATIKU: It is not enough. First of all, you give money to the state INEC. There will be need to bring in the INEC and also make sure they don’t use BVAS. We have seen what the use of BVAS have resulted in Osun.

TAMBUWAL: Atiku Abubakar, I am with you on this one.

OKOWA: And you also supervise to make sure we use the central bank to share the money and then of course, find a way to get them out of power.

TAMBUWAL: It will be extremely difficult in a way. You see, it depends on certain fundamentals and indices. If Nigerians are having only two options clearly from two regions, then one of them will be. The numbers will count in this case and we all know the voting strength of each bloc in this country.

OKOWA: It is obviously a major issue. It should not be restricted. We must look at the things that will give us result.

TAMBUWAL: And also look at the process that will bring in one of our best to be president of Nigeria. So, so, I try as much as possible to do my work. For me, don’t like mistakes. And as i have said, I have won my elections 5 times consecutively. You all know that I have the support of my home base so its a matter of strategy, but it is not about me. It is about Atiku Abubakar Waziri and making him president.

OKOWA: We cannot act in disregard of normal rule. There is a need to give INEC money to be able to run their normal processes on their own and to mobilize their people for the purpose of the election. That is likely going to make a stronger impact. Not the way we are going through.

ATIKU: Ok. And what are those areas that will be difficult to correct to win in the elections

OKOWA: The INEC officials, they need to take instructions from the PDP agents and there is no doubt about the process,….. eh eh eh, just good enough to ensure that this time, it is not questionable.

TAMBUWAL: Are you sure that this time we can win the elections?

OKOWA: YES! It must be done in such a way that it is skewed in favor of PDP.

ATIKU: Even with BVAS?

OKOWA: Yes, I think we are on course. it is just a question of trying.

February 24, 2023 0 comments

Leading Reporters Okowa sets to borrow N12b to curry Delta state

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Okowa sets to borrow N12b to curry Delta state pensioners’ votes

by Leading Reporters February 21, 2023

written by Leading Reporters

Despite public outcry over incessant loans by the outgoing Governor of Delta State, Governor Ifeanyi Okowa, Delta state is going to be plunged further with another N12billion loan, according to an insider information.

The new loans which will soon be presented to the State House of Assembly for approval, according to a source, is targeted to be used to pay pensioners, a move many believe is to curry the votes of Delta State pensioners.

Governor Ifeanyi Okowa is the running mate of Alhaji Atiku Abubakar who is currently vying to be elected Nigeria President under the People’s Democratic Party.

Since the emergence of Governor Okowa as Atiku’s running mate, the state government under him has resorted to untamed borrowing.

Okowa’s critics believe that the hundreds of billions of Naira incessantly borrowed may have been for campaign purposes.

Delta State is one if the richest oil producing states. Despite these fortunes, and the massive inflow of funds from the Federal Government and other sources, the state is emerging as one of the most indebted states in Nigeria.

The borrowing has recently peaked, and many Deltans are calling on banks and other borrowing institutions to refrain extending further loans to the state.

February 21, 2023 0 comments

LeadingReporters New National Assembly Clerk understands the moral dimension of leadership

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National Assembly Clerk understands the moral dimension of leadership – Group

by Leading Reporters February 21, 2023

written by Leading Reporters

A civil society organization, ProJustice and Development Observers Initiative has described the new
clerk of the National Assembly, Mr. Magaji Tambuwal as a patriotic Nigerian who understands the moral
dimension of leadership in service delivery.

In a goodwill message by ProJustice, signed by Trustee Compliance, Light Shedrack on behalf of the
trustees, Mr Shedrack asserted that the time to allow people who understand the virtues of patriotism,
accountability, morality and hard work to fill strategic offices and government positions has come.

He described Mr Tambuwal as a fine gentleman who places service to nationhood and humanity above self.
“As an organization, we promote and encourage morality in leadership, accountability, and patriotism
among those who hold positions of trust on behalf of Nigerian people and those in their private
undertakings. We track records of public officeholders and place them on the principles that make great
nations.

Mr. Tambuwal distinguishes himself on these virtues. “Much as we do not praise-sing for anyone,

it is imperative that we remind Nigerians that amidst
prevailing corruption and lack of patriotism, there are countless Nigerians who still choose to always do
right and thus stand out from the crowd.

Mr. Tambuwal is one of such Nigerians who has placed service
to nationhood and humanity above self. We found him selfless, accountable, patriotic, resilient and
always ready to give an account of his stewardship.

The group encouraged the new clerk to stand for what is good and fair at all times, and not to succumb
to pressures that may sway him from the strong morals he is perennially reputed for.

February 21, 2023 0 comments

Leading Reporters Tinubu gives N25m “victory expenses’’ to all candidates contesting under APC

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Breaking: Tinubu gives N25m “victory expenses’’ to all candidates contesting under APC

by Leading Reporters February 19, 2023

written by Leading Reporters

Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the presidential candidate of All Progressives Congress APC, in what seems like a last-minute desperate move to get the support of his party men across the board is currently transferring the sum of N25million each to party members seeking elective positions under APC.

The first phase of the financial largesse was transferred to those contesting for the Senate and the Federal House of Assembly. Also, those contesting for the state houses of assembly were not left out, according to a discreet source who would not want his name in print.

The largesse, according to the source was also extended to serving senators and members of the Federal House of Assembly who are not returning to the National Assembly.

While N25million was transferred to candidates contesting for the Senate and the Federal House of Assembly, contestants for state houses of assembly were gifted N20 million in what is called “Party Victory Support Fund”.

The fund transfer which commenced on Friday, the 17^th of February was said to have followed an earlier request for account numbers of all APC contestants. The Money-For-Support fund is being coordinated by Tinubu close associates, including Hon. James Abiodun Faleke.

The source who claimed to have received his share of the fund revealed that Tinubu is using his associates’ accounts to make the transfers to avoid traces. He said that the earlier plan was to give them cash, but the current stand of the Federal Government on Naira redesign frustrated the plan, hence the transfers to the beneficiary accounts.

When asked if he would vote and mobilize votes for Ahmed Bola Tinubu as a way of returning the favour given him by Tinubu, our source said that Tinubu made him an irresistible offer and there is nothing binding them that it must translate to voting for him or mobilizing for vote for him.

“He is just being generous. We were told it was to support and cushion the cash-scarcity effect. I am not bound by anything to vote for him”. The source said.

February 19, 2023 0 comments

Headlines Opinion

APC’s dilemma on election eve

by Leading Reporters February 19, 2023

written by Leading Reporters

By Tonnie Iredia

Too many things have since shown that in truth, there is not much difference between our ruling party, the All Progressives Congress (APC) and its biggest rival, the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP). Both parties have a few decent members but majority are political traders. When in power, the two parties behave exactly the same way. To start with, whereas both parties pretend that the welfare of the people matters to them, they do little or nothing to cover the pretence. Whenever an election is approaching, they create scenarios that automatically frustrate a credible contest thereby retaining office while claiming to have come in through the popular will of the people. But events have shown that the strategy has its limits. On its part, the PDP managed to hold-on for 16 years (1999-2007); but whether the APC will last beyond 8 years is becoming doubtful.

In 2015, everyone saw through the gimmicks of the ruling PDP as it struggled to postpone elections to make room for vote buying and other electoral manipulations when it became evident that it no longer enjoyed the confidence of voters. The change propaganda which thereafter brought the then opposition APC to power virtually waned even before its first term ended. First, the party showed its nervousness over the use of the Card Reader – a technological device which made rigging tedious. Hiding under the judicial ruling that the device was unknown to law, the APC made everyone to discountenance the amendment to the Electoral Act in 2015 which had recognised devices like Card Reader. From then on, the party ensured that a fresh amendment to regularize the situation was not signed into law for the 2019 elections. Although the party was declared winner of that year’s elections, some people had doubts that the victory was real following the server controversy that preceded the declaration of results.

Four years later, it has become quite clear that the APC is in trouble especially in its current atomistic state in which it is now at war with itself on a daily basis. Indeed, the party has become the greatest opposition to its own policies and leadership. Evidence that the APC was visibly scared about its chances of reelection in 2023 was mostly seen in its desperation to frustrate efforts at instituting the electronic transmission of election results – which had become a global reality. The attempt to procure officials of the National Communication Commission (NCC) to virtually commit perjury in their testimony before the legislature on the subject of electoral technology was ridiculed by the public. The electorate similarly rejected the legislature’s kangaroo voting against the innovation making it easy for the new Electoral Act 2022 to be passed along with a number of anti-rigging clauses. Apart from a few party members who remained popular in their constituencies, the ruling party has since been on edge moving from one error to another.

The new Electoral Act did well in the steps it took to sanitize party primaries, even though the ruling party turned out to be the leading culprit in electoral chicanery and the imposition of candidates. Luckily for them, for some inexplicable reasons such as the need to reduce cases in courts, the judiciary was arm twisted to allow for party supremacy in which a party’s nomination needn’t be controverted. Nigerians are however aware of the established canon that as administrative bodies, activities of political parties ought to be subjected to judicial review. This is more so as the Electoral Act had stipulated what must be done or not done to attain credible primaries. In the end, the APC subverted such guidelines only to return to the inglorious past in which a party can elect flag bearers from among party members who did not take part in the primaries and as such could not be described as aspirants. Based on the trend, can we pretend that we are on the way to free and fair elections?

In a democracy, it is the victorious party in an election that forms government; which makes the ruling party to be powerful. In Nigeria, they are not only powerful, they act quite often with impunity. The Goodluck Jonathan-led PDP government had attempted in its days in office to appoint politically tainted persons into the Electoral Commission that is world-wide known as non-partisan. Such nominees were however dropped as a result of public outcry, but the APC did not take cognizance of public outcry. So, with the recent appointment of suspected party loyalists into INEC that is supposed to be an impartial umpire, the public could not have been unaware that the objective was to use such officials to rig the 2023 general elections. This became yet another evidence that the ruling party had lost self confidence that it could win a free and fair contest. Put differently, the APC has inadvertently exposed its fear that it is at the verge of losing public support having failed to perform to public expectation. This has made the ruling party to be a suspect in every policy it enunciates towards the polls – a good example being the new naira programme.

But perhaps the best example of the dilemma of a ruling party on the eve election manifests in the unusual hostility of APC’s leading members towards President Muhammadu Buhari who was himself elected into office through the party’s banner. The severity of the attacks on Buhari’s new naira programme notwithstanding, Nigerians know that the president is the only APC member on ground today who believes in a free, fair and credible contest next Saturday. All others are locked up in schemes to gain political leverage and foreclose a level playing ground for the coming elections. Many Nigerians are persuaded that those engaged in court cases to stop the president’s plan are not doing so to alleviate public suffering as they claim, rather the goal is to buy votes – a popular method by which many elections were ‘won’ in Nigeria. Painfully, the Nigerian elites are grandstanding and eloquently displaying knowledge every evening on national television on the subject of the rule of law. Those media ‘shows’ are redundant because they have not changed the suffering of the people. If only the poor among us can get the N200 Buhari canvassed, the situation would drastically improve.

The on-going debate on the rule of law appears to have successfully diverted attention from the growing political violence in Lagos and some other cities in Nigeria. A few days ago, Usman Alkali Baba, the Inspector General of Police (IGP) did what his predecessors used to do close to elections. He rolled out law enforcement arrangements designed to curtail violence. He even listed all the newly procured modern arms and other facilities to upgrade the police. We must tell him and quickly too that the reading of such riot acts is not new and that we remain scared by daily reports of political attacks about which the police are usually silent. In Lagos, there was the report of a local leader in a community aided by another person described as SSG who allegedly summoned and threatened citizens with eviction if they failed to vote for a particular party. The promise by the police to organize what was described as a forensic analysis of the report is yet to see the light of day.

The week before, members of a political party that held a well-advertised rally at the Tafawa Balewa Square in Lagos were crudely attacked. Where was the police? If half of the people are attacked and scared away from voting which voters would the police guard on voting day with its advertised modern facilities and what evidence is there that the police are not unwittingly supporting one set of politicians against another? If so, what is all the fuss about some jaundiced rule of law principles? Somebody should help us tell our elites that as fundamental as the rule of law is, they are able to partake in the television see debates on it because it is Banks and not the Supreme Court that frustrated citizens attacked. Another well-meaning speaker should tell them that continued suffering of Nigerians cannot stop illegal contraptions such as the Interim National Government and Military rule that we all seem to deprecate

February 19, 2023

February 19, 2023 0 comments

Headlines Opinion

Buhari’s Infrastructural Development: At What Cost and Whose Expense?

by Leading Reporters February 19, 2023

written by Leading Reporters

Nigeria has suffered perennial infrastructural deficiency. From bad road to a near comatose rail transport system. Former President Goodluck Jonathan started what looked like a revolution in the rail sector. When President Muhammadu Buhari took over the mantle of leadership in 2015, He placed priority on infrastructural development, with a special interest in the railway, airport and road sectors. Under his administration, the transport sector (Road, rail and airport) gulped more loans than every other sector and every other government since the advent of the current democratic experience.

There are currently ongoing road projects across many parts of Nigeria. There is as well the 2nd Niger Bridge within the South East axis. There are massive road constructions within the Southern and Northern axis in Nigeria. As beautiful as all these seem, the question Nigerians have failed to ask is the cost of borrowing to fund these projects. Are these loans worthwhile? Are they deployed for the same purpose for which they borrowed? What are the terms and conditions of these loans? What are the sovereign collateral and guarantees? Are the projects for which they were borrowed feasible to bring enough returns to repay these loans? What are the qualities and life spans of these infrastructures that we are obtaining loans for? What effect do these untamed loans have on the economy at least within the medium and long terms? These are questions every patriotic Nigeria should genuinely ask.

Unlike under previous governments when construction giant like Julius Berger was majorly patronized by the Federal Government, China construction companies are currently dominating construction projects in Nigeria – from rail to road, from airport to other infrastructures. The reason for this shift is not far-fetched. Most of the funding for these infrastructures is a “China Loan”. China would not avail of a loan that would benefit other construction companies. Thus, Chinese Government-owned companies are having a field day in the construction sector in Nigeria.

President Buhari is currently the Nigeria President with the highest loan-take. While many praise him for several infrastructural projects across Nigeria, others hold the view that the president’s penchant for loans may plunge Nigeria into collecting loans that may never easily be paid back. China’s loan largesse is not limited to Nigeria. Report has it that so many other countries have stretched to China for loans, nay, for more loans. Loans are collected with collateral and other forms of securities and guarantees. Nigerians see roads and other infrastructures, but most Nigerians do not know the terms under which those loans were given to Nigeria.

President Buhari APC-led government does not seem to understand jack about wealth creation or how the abundant human and natural resources Nigeria has been endowed with could be optimized for national growth and development. The floral and faunas, the enchanting landscapes and rocks in the North Central region, the green allures of the South-South lands that stretch from land to sea, including the bodies of water that dot up that region, the historical monuments that could create research and historical tourism among countless other touristic elements lay waste without any efforts at exploring and exploiting them as major revenue earner. What about the arable land that stretches from North to South? Despite claims of food sufficiency, Nigeria still imports most of the food it consumes. Where locally-made foods are available, the prices tower higher than the reach of an average Nigerian. Truly, things have fallen apart and all thanks to clueless leadership that have continued to plague Nigeria since her independence.

President Muhammadu Buhari is an expert in negotiating and collecting loans. His advisers seem to always urge him on. Former Minister of Transport, Rt. Hon. Rotimi Amaechi stood out as one of President Buhari’s ministers who saw China loan as the be-all and did not seem to remember that loans are loans and are repayable. President Buhari believes the only way he could out-perform his predecessors is by collecting more and more loans for infrastructures. Today in APC, infrastructural development have become a campaign slogan. They tell Nigeria to embrace roads, and rails that have been built for them. They however fail to tell Nigerians that their future have been sold for loans.

One of the sectors that has engulfed many loans is the railway facility. Amaechi has severally and shamelessly portrayed the inevitability of loans for more rail tracks, including running a rail track from Nigeria to the Republic of Niger at no cost to the government and the people of the Republic of Niger. But any right-thinking Nigeria knows that the rail sector is not viable enough to repay the massive loan that has so far been obtained from China. I do not think that the proceeds from rail transport will ever be enough to run the overhead costs, let alone repay the loans collected to build them.

Only time will tell the damage these suspicious loans have dealt to the economy of Nigeria. Only time may prove that these loans and the arrangement behind them were laden with corruption, and manipulation for purpose of self-aggrandizement. Some of these loans were taken to be stolen. Time will tell.

But do these loans have a long-term effect on the collective fortune of Nigeria and Nigerians? It does. A disastrous effect. Creative leaders are not those who resort to loans to bridge infrastructural deficiencies. But they are people who optimize resources for growth and development. Creative leadership provides an enabling environment that attracts the private sector to take infrastructural development. What President Muhammadu Buhari, his aides and ministers have succeeded in doing in the name of infrastructural development is simply mortgaging the future of Nigerians, including an unborn generation. I am not enthused by several roads, rails and bridges built with Chinese loans, I am rather worried that Nigerians will pay dearly for the greed of a few who sold out this country by collecting loans for which their repayments do not look feasible. …. To be continued.

Light I. Shedrack is a communication strategist, public issues analyst and an SME ideation specialist. He writes from Abuja and can be reached via lightsheddie26@gmail.com

February 19, 2023 0 comments

Leading Reporters A TALE OF THE FRSC LEADERSHIP EXPERIENCE

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THREE AND HALF DECADES OF ENTRENCHING SAFETY ON NIGERIAN ROADS: A TALE OF THE FRSC LEADERSHIP EXPERIENCE – BISI KAZEEM

by Leading Reporters February 19, 2023

written by Leading Reporters

Nigeria is one of the few African countries that has leveraged on some road safety principles and have recorded remarkable progress in road safety administration and management despite a ‘gloomy’ beginning. The road safety situation in Nigeria was so deplorable that the World Health Organisation once described the country as ‘worst in the world to travel on’ only next to Ethiopia.

That narrative changed through government’s efforts by establishing the Federal Road Safety Commission as the Lead Agency to guarantee safety on every centimetre of Nigeria’s expansive road network of 204,000km. This establishment was done ten years prior to United Nations recommendation for all member states to establish agencies directly situated under the central government for ease of unfettered operation.

The vision behind the establishment of the Federal Road Safety Corps which is to eradicate Road Traffic Crashes on Nigeria roads is based on the premise that road crashes are caused and highly preventable. Over the last three decades or more, and arising from the above statistics of deaths, injuries and damage to properties, can Nigerians confidently posit that the Federal Road Safety Corps has made policies and embarked upon programmes and activities that are in harmony and consistent with global best practices on Road Traffic Administration and Safety Management? Can we possibly say that the paramilitary outfit has achieved its statutory mandate of eradicating Road Traffic Crashes on Nigerian roads? Can the FRSC be said to have educated the motoring public enough? Have they been able to entrench safe road use culture into drivers in Nigeria? Answers to these and many more questions on Road Safety will give us a sense of direction as to whether or not the 18 February, 1988 proclamation by the Military administration of President Ibrahim Babangida has actually saved the lives it was established to save.

Since coming on board, the Federal Road Safety Corps has as a matter of fact blossomed on all sides through strategic innovations and sheer resilience of it’s personnel, into one of the most professionally inclined and reputable national institution; and of course, a global brand and an exemplar of best road safety operations and practices in Africa.

Beginning from 18 February, 1988 when the Corps commenced full operational activities geared towards eradicating road traffic crashes, the Federal Road Safety Corps has brought down annual record of crashes from over Forty Thousand crashes per year to below Five Thousand at the moment.

The Corps is and will always remain the frontline agency in traffic regulations in Nigeria. Being the lead government agency for traffic superintendent and guardianship and evolving from a humble beginning with it’s technical and management headquarters located at no 9 Oshuntokun Street, Bodija Ibadan, Oyo State and the outpost and liason office located in three story building in Wuse zone 2, Abuja with just a dozen Staff and 200 Youth Corps Members operating from 6 locations and striving to get it’s feet, to transforming into a mega force amongst paramilitary organisations in Nigeria with thousands of formations scattered across the 774 local governments in the country.

Through unprecedented innovations in information and communication technology and effective operational tools, FRSC has grown to become a reference point in excellent service delivery in Nigeria; the benchmark for road safety management and administration in Africa and an exemplar of global best practices in it’s operations.

The Corps has also been well known in terms of it’s origin and trajectory which has the imprimatur of Africa’s first Nobel Laureate for Literature, Prof Woke Soyinka, who made it a project and agency to behold. From the pioneer Corps Marshal, Dr. Olu Agunloye to Chief Osita Chidoka all of whom were appointed from the civil population, the Corps witnessed a formidable foundation laying processes that has provoked effectiveness, efficiency and pragmatism in road safety administration in Nigeria. The icing on the cake on these developmental stride came with the appointment of career Staff as Corps Marshal from Boboye Oyeyemi to the present Corps Marshal, Dauda Ali Biu whose innate experience and expertise has and is still giving the Corps the needed push necessary for it to stay atop.

The luscious development is that in its thirty five years as lead agency in traffic and safety management, the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) has recorded tremendous achievements in the area of Traffic Engineering, Road Safety Administration, Traffic Management, rescue operation,changing bad road use behaviour and Crash reduction. The road traffic management Agency achieved this glorious feat, through a chain of pragmatic leadership, sagacity of different generations of management, ingenuity of its Policy formulators and the dexterity of the handlers of policy implementation.

These leaders have entrenched within the Corps, a wealthy culture of professionalism and excellence in service delivery, which has positioned it as the lead agency in road safety management and traffic administration, with a passionate and enduring commitment to creating a safer motoring environment that is unequalled in the African sub-region. This unquenchable commitment asserts undue pressure on the Corps; thereby propelling it to more than ever before, continue to strengthen its strategies, programmes, knowledge and processes, capable of surmounting all challenges militating against effective and efficient administration of safety in Nigeria.

Just as stated in previous publications, it is most imperative to bring to the fore that beginning from the second decade of the Corps’ existence, frantic efforts have been put in place to expand both the internal and external horizons of the Corps with more robust collaborations on all fronts that has led to a paradigm shift in road safety administration, from Traditional approach to Safe Systems Approach.

Through the use of state of the art Information Technology facilities; the Corps has been able to develop transformational initiatives focused on People, Processes and Technology (PPT) that is why today not only does it staff pride as the most disciplined, but the Corps stands as the best Information Technology (IT) driven organization in Nigeria with its robust data base and over 95 percentage digitalized administrative and operational procedures.

The current leadership of the Federal Road Safety Corps, headed by Dauda Ali Biu came on board in December, 2022 and from inception, the administration took bold steps towards the development of a vigorous framework for enhancing safe motoring environment in Nigeria. This strategic initiative has been the bedrock for the new innovations that have become ostensible in road safety administration and traffic Management in broad-spectrum. The laid foundation is premised on the resolve to place great attention to all the administrative variables that could enhance productivity, effectiveness and efficiency in the work process.

Part of these include, but not limited to improvement in equipment and other work tools such as the procurement of tow trucks for clearance of obstructions, patrol motorbikes, and patrol vehicles, (hilux), ambulances, and staff buses to convey staff to their workplace; employee motivation through improved welfare, and massive promotion of Officers and men which has been widely applauded by members of the FRSC nationwide; purposeful collaboration with all stakeholders such as transport stakeholders, media stakeholders, interagency collaboration, and civil society organizations. His administration is also upholding discipline in all areas.

With the strategies and tactics deployed for decisive continuity and innovation which the Corps has applied in the conduct of its affairs in the last few months, it is given that incredible improvements have been made in road safety management in Nigeria today; especially arising from the continuous involvement of staff in the process of strategy building and developments in operational front which is very significant and has stimulated buy-in in all policy areas.

The Corps has put in place an unambiguous vision and mission projections designed to guide its affairs on short, medium and long term endeavours.

BISI KAZEEM ,
FRSC’S CORPS PUBLIC EDUCATION OFFICER

February 19, 2023 0 comments

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